Currently, about 20% of American houses are constructed by being built on a crawl space. To build a crawl space, a hole (pit) is excavated that is generally similar but slightly larger in size and configuration to the foot print of the house that will be built over the crawl space. For a typical crawl space, the pit is typically dug to a depth of 2½ to 3 feet. Once this pit is dug, a vertical crawl space wall is built that is generally identical in size and configuration to the outer perimetral wall of the house. This crawl space wall is usually constructed either by forming a concrete block wall, or a poured concrete wall.
The floor of the first story of the house is then built over the concrete wall, so that a space exists between the underside of the first floor of the house and the upper surface of the bottom of the pit that is surrounded by the crawl space wall. This space is referred to as a crawl space. In most cases, a layer of pea gravel is placed on the crawl space floor.
It is important to have some way to gain access to this crawl space. Access is important, because most houses have a large amount of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical components, such as drain pipes, electrical conduits, HVAC ducts, telephone wires, fresh water pipes and the like that run in the crawl space, so that utilities, such as electricity and running water can be provided to the different rooms in the house.
There are several ways to provide this access to the crawl space. One way to provide this access is to provide a trap door in the floor of one of the rooms or closets of the house.
Probably the most common way to provide access to this crawl space is to provide an opening in the vertical crawl space wall through which the user can pass from the exterior of the house into the crawl space to gain access to the crawl space. Often, a door is provided that fits in the opening to normally close-off the opening to prevent animals and other undesirable creatures from entering into the crawl space, and also to prevent cold or warm air (depending on the season) from filling the crawl space and thus adding to the utility bills of the user.
Most crawl space doors comprise generally planar sheets of metal having a pivotably mounted handle member. The door is fit into a sill that extends around the opening of the crawl space wall, and the door handle member is capable of pivoting between an “unlocked” position where it does not engage the sill, and a locked position where a portion of the handle engages the sill to maintain the door in its position on the sill in a “door closed” position.
From a builder's perspective, providing these crawl space access structures results in several significant issues with which one must deal. The most significant issue is that most, and usually all of the crawl space wall in a finished house is usually disposed below the level of grade, and hence is underground. As such, one must dig a pit adjacent to the crawl space opening to permit the user to descend into the pit vertically, so that the user can then proceed laterally through the opening in the crawl space wall to enter the crawl space. Digging such a pit presents problems because the walls of the pit must be shored up, for without being shored up, a collapse may occur.
Another issue is that constructing a crawl space pit is a very time-consuming process for the builder. First, the user must excavate the pit. After this is done, the builder must then generally insert a layer of pea gravel over the base of the pit to a desired thickness level.
After this is finished, the builder must then build a support wall. Traditionally, support walls are built by forming a concrete block wall against the edges of the pit, to prevent the hole from collapsing. A less expensive alternate method is to provide a corrugated half-pipe that serves as the pit wall.
When the support wall is created, the retaining sill for the crawl space opening must then be affixed to the concrete wall to provide a frame for receiving a door. Finally, the door must be installed.
After the concrete block or corrugated half-pipe pit wall is built, and the door is installed, a row of cap material is usually placed along the top of the wall. This row of cap material often comprises brick that is the same brick from which the house is made, so that the crawl space entrance will be more aesthetically pleasing. Finally, a cap can be placed over the top of the crawl space pit wall to form a cover for the access pit. Typically, this pit cover is made from pressure treated wood.
Although the process for making such a crawl space entry pit has been described, it actually comprises somewhere between a 13 and 15 step process. The cost of creating this pit is often in the $300 to $500.00 range. A further difficulty is that different steps of the construction of the access occur at spaced, intermittent intervals during the entire period of the construction of the house, thus forcing workers to build one phase, stop work on it, then later start a second phase, stop work on it, and then do a third phase, etc. Generally, constructing the crawl space pit entry begins during the excavation of the house, and is not finished completely until the final punch list inspection of the house that occurs just before the completed house is turned over to the buyer.
As such, creating a crawl space pit requires a significant coordination effort between the builder and the various masons, excavators, concrete persons, carpenters and other craftsmen involved in the construction process.
Further difficulties exist with respect to the way the device actually operates during the life span of the house. Crawl space access pits constructed according to the current construction techniques, usually still permit water and moisture to get inside the pit, even when a cap is employed to keep rain and moisture out of the pit. Additionally, the metals used for the door and metal sill have a tendency to rust. Once the metal door and sill rust, there is no easy way to remove them and replace them with non-rusted components. As such, over time the aesthetic appeal of the door, sill and concrete block member deteriorate significantly, thus detracting from the aesthetic appeal of the house.
One object of the present invention is to provide a more cost-effective crawl space access system that will facilitate ease of construction, and will have increased durability, when compared to known prior art devices.